TV Focus//The Fall – Episode 4

Cast: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan

The story: As the investigation continues, the investigation office becomes a crime scene and the killer gets ever more itchy for the kill, but first he’s got some justice to pursue, much to the chagrin of his bosses at work…

Just minutes before the fourth episode of The Fall began on BBC2, Chris Packham was observing animals during Springwatch – and The Fall had some similar, altogether more malevolent, observation to be had in the form of Jamie Dornan’s serial killer on the hunt for the next victim. As Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson)had her by now familiar swim in the hotel pool the killer was returning home from a morning jog to the eerily normal domestic situation he hides his violent passion behind.

Indeed, Dornan is on fine form in tonight’s episode –from his urging of the patent he would eventually claim as victim number four to report her violent husband to the police and to see a victim support Councillor with the somewhat creepy suggestion of  ‘put on a headscarf and some dark glasses – you’ll look like Sofia Loren’, to the astonishing moment at the episodes conclusion where he throws said violent husband down three flights of stairs and stabs him to death with a face barely showing  the implied  (and obvious) pleasure he’s taking in doing so.

“All of this can be sorted easily – really easily…” (Breedlove)

There’s more action than words though in this penultimate part of the series with the killer one-liners thin on the ground this week. But that no bad thing when we’ve been spoiled with so many thus far. The barely there incidental music is particularly effective this week as Breedlove, about to lose his life, family and freedom after being called into the office to answer “some questions” brings a particularly gory answer to the self-posed question that appears above. Indeed, with a bang and an effective lack of on screen gore it’s easily one of the most effective moments of the series so far.

Stella herself though, is beginning to lose the impenetrable shell she’s maintained for much of the series, as the eye bags begin to show and the emotional and sexual past between the characters begins to reveal itself. Olson’s death is beginning to look even more suspicious as it’s discovered Breedlove was apparently having an affair with his wife. 

We also learn more about the Chief Constable’s fling with Stella, as he confesses to her just how potent she is to men. Indeed, how many men would leave their partners of Gibson? The barely there sexuality that Gibson displays, from her semi-disdain for relationships as she asks her ‘right hand man’ if she has ‘a man’ to her previous cold response to the news that Olson was a married man – “That’s his business” – are all adding up to something quite special. This is a character that takes a very cold stance to relationships, making constant use of the phrase ‘a sweet night’ – a one night stand in other words.

“One must have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star…”

The killers response to the news of his victim being pregnant changes the game somewhat, as he sends a letter to her father and sister – that soon ends up in the hands of Stella and her investigative team. In fact, it seems like the previously cat like killer is turning into a lion, striking with an ever growing ferocity – getting sighted by a group of night revelers on the gang estate as he escapes from the scene of his latest kill. Will it be the traditional killer bought to rights ending for the final episode?  Somehow we don’t think so…

Best Lines: “You won’t see the cat again – cats are evil creatures…”

The new Killing? In its own way, very much so! The news of a second series please us muchly!

Reviewed by Sebastian Gahan.